Find active food recalls and food safety alerts on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and FoodSafety.gov website, or use a third-party app.
There have been several food recalls and food safety alerts in the news headlines lately. Most recently, these include certain brands of carrots, ground beef, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, and frozen waffles and pancakes. Don’t panic, but it’s important to be aware of notices like these because the foods identified could cause injury or serious illness, especially for people who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems.
Some (but not all) nationwide recalls to know about right now include:
🥕 Multiple brands of organic carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, due to possible E. coli
🐮 Ground beef sold by Wolverine Packing Co., due to possible E. coli
🍗 Multiple ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu Shang Food Inc., due to possible listeria
🧇 Multiple brands of frozen waffles and pancakes from TreeHouse Foods, due to possible listeria
There are also new recalls related to eggs, cucumbers, and ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables that were sold in specific states.
Here’s a quick refresher on the difference between food recalls and food safety alerts:
🤮 Recalls are issued when a specific product is taken off the market because it could cause people to get sick or hurt.
⚠️ Food safety alerts are issued to let consumers know about potential health risks, like when the exact source of a food-related outbreak hasn’t been identified yet.
Recalls and alerts happen for several reasons, including:
🔵 Risks due to food being contaminated with bacteria (such as E. coli, listeria, and salmonella) or viruses (such as norovirus and hepatitis A)
🔵 Product may contain foreign objects
🔵 Food may have an allergen that was not included on the product label
Stay aware, and if you think you may have a product that has been recalled or included in a food safety alert, find more details to confirm at FoodSafety.gov. There are also third-party apps–like the free “Food Recalls & Alerts” app–that can help you stay in the know. If you do have a recalled product, return it for a refund or throw it away. You should also clean and disinfect any surfaces that came into contact with the food, like your refrigerator or countertops.
Stay safe, stay nerdy, and enjoy your meals with peace of mind.
Those Nerdy Girls
Sources & Additional Reading:
CDC – Food Safety
USDA – Food Safety & Inspection Service: Recalls & Public Health Alerts
FDA – Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
Partnership for Food Safety Education – About Foodborne Illness
